"...What's that?"
Right after finishing a battle, still in a sensitive state, Hamin pointed his sword at the figure. The sharp tip of the sword emitted a chilling premonition, as if it could slice an enemy's throat at any moment. However, the opponent neither panicked nor showed any caution. Rolling his eyes to check Hamin's sword, the figure's smile grew larger, treating Hamin as if he was wielding a toy sword rather than a real one.
Irritated, Hamin took a step forward, but Kang Sihyun grabbed the hem of his clothes. Facing the sharp glare, Kang Sihyun shook his head.
"I'll handle this."
He said, stepping forward to confront the suddenly appeared opponent.
"Oh, it's you. The one who killed my brothers."
An interested voice flowed from the enemy's mouth. Although still mixed with laughter, the tone was no longer playful or light. The voice carried weight. The atmosphere pressured Kang Sihyun.
The surroundings turned hostile. Walls, floors, the air – everything around was threatening towards Kang Sihyun and Hamin, their legs trembling under the oppressive atmosphere.
"Is this your first time seeing this?"
"..."
"I've been waiting for you to come to me."
The words felt both benevolent at a glance and merciless upon closer inspection. Kang Sihyun resisted the pressure trying to force him to his knees, pondering the enemy's words. He had clearly called him the murderer of his brothers, and with that single statement, Kang Sihyun could identify the suddenly appeared opponent's identity.
"...Septimus."
"Yes, that's my name."
The opponent, who could pass for an early teen based on his appearance alone, smirked maliciously. Despite his youthful face, the smile was brutally cruel, proving he was the Septimus who had turned Haru into a puppet, attempting suicide.
Kang Sihyun shivered, realizing late that the creature had been speaking Korean. He had seen many of Gula's offspring speak, but none that could articulate human language.
"You speak..."
"Did you think you were the only one who could decipher our language while there existed no being who could interpret yours?"
"..."
"Arrogance is a sin inherent to all living beings."
Finding something amusing, the creature chuckled. Despite his youthful appearance, his speech resembled that of an elder. Kang Sihyun eyed Septimus closely.
This offspring of Gula seemed the weakest he had encountered, yet its ability to interpret and speak human languages indicated a level of intelligence not to be underestimated. It was clear that Septimus would be a more cunning opponent than others.
It would be too much for just the two of them.
The atmosphere alone indicated that Septimus was stronger. While it was unclear what he planned, at this moment, Septimus was merely conversing atop a black orb. But should he decide to attack, Kang Sihyun and Hamin's throats could easily hit the ground.
It was uncertain how a fight would actually unfold.
The power that had been lent to him during the fight against Decumanus. If that power could be wielded again, the outcome might be different. However, relying solely on that to provoke Septimus was a dangerously risky gamble.
Kang Sihyun neither retreated nor approached the enemy but tightened his grip on his weapon. His eyes subtly shifted towards the black orb scattered around the room. He needed to buy enough time for everyone to break free from the hallucination.
Swallowing dryly, Kang Sihyun spoke up.
"...What's your purpose?"
Seeing an opportunity to understand the Irregulars' goal, as the opponent could speak human language, made the conversation easier. Behind the young boy, a tail flickered. The humanoid creature smirked, revealing sharp fangs.
"To return to the ancient times."
"...?"
"We will destroy everything on this land and return to the dawn of time. To the era when Mother ruled, and all knelt before her feet. We shall become the rulers of the land once again."
The declaration could have been deemed grandiose, yet it did not sound like the ramblings of a dreamer lost in fantasy, nor did it come off as the boast of an arrogant being. It was calm and measured, as if speaking of a predetermined future, which instilled a certain conviction that Septimus's words would come to fruition.
A chill crawled up Kang Sihyun's body, but he shook off the ominous feeling.
"There are too many humans to kill them all."
"Does the sheer number of bugs that can be squashed with a single finger make them invincible?"
Attempting to stall for time, Kang Sihyun's quip seemed to amuse the creature greatly, who then laughed heartily before replying with a cold sneer, not mockery but scorn.
"Twelve offspring became ten, and among them, seven were bestowed with power."
Suddenly, the creature began to recite something unrelated. Kang Sihyun squinted his
eyes at the abrupt narrative. Without being asked further, Septimus continued to unfold the story on his own.
"I became the tenth of the twelve, the seventh child. Do you understand what that means?"
"..."
"It means I, too, have been granted power by our great Mother."
After saying this, Septimus descended from the black orb. Just then, the eerie laughter that had filled the room before echoed once more, and as if on cue, two orbs shattered, and Haehyuk and Raon Cheon emerged from them.
"Guild Master!"
Kang Sihyun called out to them, securing two high-ranking powers in his force. As they emerged from the dark space and furrowed their brows, Septimus stood tall, indifferent to whether he faced four or forty opponents.
Mist swirled around Septimus, and his presence in the room expanded massively, suffocating everyone.
"..."
"Mother has given me control over life."
With those words, the suppressed intensity was unleashed, and Septimus's voice resonated throughout the space. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand, and the remaining three orbs shattered, dragging three Awakened individuals helplessly towards him. They were members of the Jincheng guild.
"Songzan!"
Raon Cheon frowned and called out to the dragged individuals. Septimus waved his hand, and they stood upright, their eyes opening.
"Damn."
Their gazes were unfocused. It was the same phenomenon that had occurred when Haru was controlled. The group gripped their weapons tighter, ready for battle, as if waiting for this moment, Septimus laughed loudly and gestured. The three Awakened individuals mechanically drew their weapons to confront them.
"You will be the cause of your own species' extinction."
Boom!
The battle began with this declaration, three against four. Behind them, Pia was trying to prevent Haru from awakening.
Three against four.
In terms of numbers and skill, those not controlled were superior, but recognizing the opponents as living beings made their attacks hesitant, and they began to lose ground. To make matters worse, Septimus summoned even the previously defeated offspring of Gula, including Decumanus from Egypt, Nonus from Russia, and another mentioned from the Philippines. Although they were not as strong as in reality, they still posed a threat.
Six against four.
Now, they were outmatched in numbers, skill, and momentum.
"Ha!"
But Kang Sihyun and his group did not back down. Raon Cheon shouted, drawing his sword. Despite being an elemental ability user, his large stature was not just for show; he handled the sword as skillfully as any swordsman. He launched three people into the air and cut off the arms of three Irregulars. Haehyuk joined in the attack.
The sound of slicing filled the air. The limbs of Gula's offspring summoned by Septimus flew through the air.
However, unlike those they could decisively cut down, the three controlled Awakened were more challenging to fight. Kang Sihyun turned to help in the battle, then looked back. Pia had enlarged her body to press down on Haru, preventing him from rising.
Kang Sihyun split the weapon in his hand into two: a staff obtained from the fight against Decumanus and a rope from Nonus. He transformed the divided weapons into a staff and a rope, throwing the rope towards Haru.
"Tie him up, Pia!"
At his shout, the mythical creature skillfully caught the rope with her mouth, binding Haru. The rope, which could neither be broken nor cut, restrained Haru, and the glowing staff seemed to suppress his power, making him calm.
"Join in!"
With another command, Pia flapped her wings and joined the battle. As Pia attempted to cut the control line of the three Jincheng guild members, Septimus glared fiercely, attempting to grab the mythical creature.
Snap!
Kang Sihyun leaped, positioning himself between Pia and Septimus. With a brilliant flash, the staff deflected Septimus's hand, drawing the Irregular's attention away from the mythical creature to Kang Sihyun.
"Futile efforts."
Septimus mocked Kang Sihyun. The overly human-like appearance induced a feeling of discomfort in Kang Sihyun, as if he was fighting a ten-year-old child. Taking a deep breath, he blocked Septimus with the staff, transforming it into a sword.
"Whether it's futile or not, we'll only know after we try."
"Pointless."
"Stop sounding like an old man and come at me."
Provoking Septimus to ensure he couldn't focus on Pia or the others, Septimus laughed. With a powerful force, the ground beneath him shattered as if absorbing a mighty impact, and he rapidly closed the distance to Kang Sihyun. Despite being an S-grade, Kang Sihyun was unable to track the speed and widened his eyes
as Septimus launched an attack. Kang Sihyun managed to block it with his sword, but the incredible strength from the small figure sent him flying, piercing through dozens of walls. Moaning, Kang Sihyun propped himself up with his sword.
What kind of cheat character is this?
Thinking it was safe to charge at Septimus, who had been controlling puppets, was a mistake. Spitting out blood and grimacing, he stood up. Septimus, having sent Kang Sihyun flying, grabbed Pia.
"Screech!"
"Pia!"
As Septimus's hand caught Pia's wings, she screamed. Kang Sihyun steadied his trembling legs with his hands and opened his eyes wide. At this speed, he couldn't win against Septimus.
With a grunt, Kang Sihyun clenched his fist and alternated his gaze between Septimus and Pia. After a rapid succession of thoughts, he made a decision.
Acceleration.
Muttering the word, he activated his copy ability, and his body shot forward like a flash of lightning.
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